USA · Soups

Vegan Chili

Three kinds of beans and a rich, dark, smoky tomato-based sauce built on chipotle peppers, bloomed spices, and a small amount of cocoa powder.

55 min✻6 servings✻390 kcal
Vegan Chili

Ingredients

  • canned kidney beans400 g
  • canned black beans400 g
  • canned pinto beans or borlotti beans400 g
  • canned crushed or fire-roasted tomatoes800 g
  • large onion1
  • garlic cloves4
  • red bell pepper1
  • chipotle peppers in adobo sauce2 tbsp
  • tomato paste2 tbsp
  • chilli powder2 tsp
  • smoked paprika2 tsp
  • ground cumin1.5 tsp
  • dried oregano1 tsp
  • unsweetened cocoa powder1 tbsp
  • maple syrup or light brown sugar1 tsp
  • vegetable stock250 ml
  • apple cider vinegar1 tbsp
  • olive oil2 tbsp

Method

  1. 1Build the aromatic base. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion with a generous pinch of salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden and beginning to caramelize at the edges. Don't rush this — a properly cooked onion is the flavor foundation. Add the red bell pepper and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
  2. 2Bloom the spices and build depth. Add the chilli powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano. Stir constantly for 60 seconds until the spices smell toasted and intensely fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes until it darkens — it should look almost like a dark paste stuck to the bottom. Add the chipotle peppers with a spoonful of their adobo sauce and stir to combine. This layering of aromatics and cooked spices is what makes vegan chili taste genuinely deep rather than flat.
  3. 3Add the bulk ingredients. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir to scrape up anything from the base of the pot. Add all three cans of drained beans, the cocoa powder, and the maple syrup. Stir everything together. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady gentle simmer. Leave uncovered.
  4. 4Simmer and thicken. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes over low heat, stirring every 10 minutes. The chili should thicken naturally as the liquid reduces. After 20 minutes, use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to lightly crush about one-quarter of the beans directly in the pot — this creates a creamy body while leaving the rest of the beans intact. Taste and adjust: more chipotle if you want more smoke, more salt, a pinch more sugar if too sharp.
  5. 5Finish and serve. Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar — it brightens and sharpens the whole thing. Taste one final time. Serve in deep bowls over rice or with cornbread, topped with diced avocado, sliced spring onion, vegan sour cream, and a wedge of lime. The chili tastes better the next day and freezes perfectly for up to 4 months.